In a village of masked men, magic compels each man to love only one woman and to follow the commands of his “goddess” without question. A woman may reject the only man who will love her if she pleases, but she will be alone forever. And a man must stay masked until his goddess returns his love—and if she can’t or won’t, he remains masked forever.

Seventeen-year-old Noll isn't in the mood to celebrate. Her childhood friends have paired off and her closest companion, Jurij, found his goddess in Noll’s own sister. Desperate to find a way to break this ancient spell, Noll instead discovers why no man has ever chosen her.

Thus begins a dangerous game between the choice of woman versus the magic of man. And the stakes are no less than freedom and happiness, life and death—and neither is willing to lose.

Amy McNulty is a freelance writer and editor from Wisconsin with an honors degree in English. She was first published in a national scholarly journal (The Concord Review) while in high school and currently spends her days alternatively writing on business and marketing topics and primarily crafting stories with dastardly villains and antiheroes set in fantastical medieval settings.

To Bear an Iron Key is the first in a new and exciting series from acclaimed author Jackie Morse Kessler.

Five years ago, the young witch Bromwyn refused a gift from the powerful fairy king. Tonight, on Midsummer, that decision comes back to haunt her. When her best friend Rusty picks the wrong pocket, he and Bromwyn are all that stand between their village and the rampaging fairies who have pushed through the World Door. If they cannot outwit the fairy king and queen before the World Door closes at sunrise, the friends will lose everything—their village, Bromwyn's magic, and Rusty's life.

From To Bear an Iron Key by Jackie Morse Kessler: "Bromwyn turned to face the burning fields. Reaching deep inside of herself, she closed her eyes and touched the core of her power, the place where her magic lived, where it connected her to all of Nature. She held onto that magic, let it fill her almost to the bursting point, and then she cast it out onto the fields. It blanketed the rows of spelt, and she felt as it rode the wind—Air—and then touched the grain—Earth—and then sizzled around the fire."

Jackie Morse Kessler grew up in Brooklyn, NY, with a cranky cat and overflowing shelves filled with dolls and books. Now she’s in Upstate NY with another cranky cat, a loving husband, two sons, and overflowing shelves filled with dragons and books (except when her sons steal her dragons). She has a bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature, and yet she’s never read any Jane Austen (with or without zombies). She also has a master’s degree in media ecology. (The living study of technology and culture. Which is cool, but she still can’t figure out how to use Tweetdeck.)

Jackie spends a lot of time writing, reading, and getting distracted by bright and shiny new ideas. (She just came up with a new idea right now.) She has a weakness for chocolate and a tendency to let her cat take over her office chair.

For hundreds of years, dark clouds covered the skies of Adamah, and an ageless king ruled. Those who emerged with one of six extraordinary Shay powers were forced into the king’s army, an unmatched force with inhuman Strength, Speed, Accuracy, Perception, Empathy, and Healing. With the army behind him, the king—a man who wields all six abilities—was invincible and unquestioned in his rule. To most, serving the king was an honor. But for others, it was a fate worse than death.

When seventeen-year-old Nolan Trividar witnesses the transformation of his brother from kind to cruel after entering the king’s army, he vows never to follow the same path.
So when his own power—the Shay of Accuracy—comes upon him at the Tournament of Awakening, Nolan conceals his emergence instead of joining the king’s ranks. For years, he traitorously hides his power, pretending to be only a gifted scribe. But when Nolan comes face -to-face with a deserter, the man discovers his secret.
To evade detection and a death sentence, Nolan escapes with the deserter and flees into a night filled with dark creatures who steal both powers and souls. He joins a resistance, a village hidden deep in the forest, filled with others who secretly wield a Shay. But his peace is short-lived when they discover that the dark clouds, undead creatures, their own decreasing powers, and even the king, are all connected.

Kristal Shaff grew up with books (and used to drive her mom crazy when she wouldn’t leave the library); her first job was even shelving books at the library. She loves anything creative, and you can often find her exploring strange and fantastical worlds in her choices of movies and fantasy fiction. Kristal resides in Iowa with her farmer husband, numerous pets, and 3 awesome kids (plus one more on the way though the journey of adoption). When she isn’t writing, she is a professional face painter who enjoys making children smile.

Thyra Winther's seventeen, the Snow Queen, and immortal, but if she can't reassemble a shattered enchanted mirror by her eighteenth birthday she's doomed to spend eternity as a wraith. Armed with magic granted by a ruthless wizard, Thyra schemes to survive with her mind and body intact.

Unencumbered by kindness, she kidnaps local boy Kai Thorsen, whose mathematical skills rival her own. Two logical minds, Thyra calculates, are better than one. With time rapidly melting away she needs all the help she can steal. A cruel lie ensnares Kai in her plan, but three missing mirror shards and Kai's childhood friend, Gerda, present more formidable obstacles. Thyra's willing to do anything – venture into uncharted lands, outwit sorcerers, or battle enchanted beasts - to reconstruct the mirror, yet her most dangerous adversary lies within her breast.

Touched by the warmth of a wolf pup's devotion and the fire of a young man's desire, the thawing of Thyra's frozen heart could be her ultimate undoing.

Vicki Lemp Weavil was raised in a farming community in Virginia, where her life was shaped by a wonderful family, the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and an obsession with reading. Since obtaining her undergraduate degree in Theatre from the University of Virginia, she’s gone on to acquire two masters degrees, living in places as diverse as New York City and rural North Carolina. She’s currently the library director for a performing an visual arts university. Vicki loves good writing in any genre, and has been known to read seven books in as many days. She enjoys travel, gardening, and the arts. Vicki lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and some very spoiled cats.

SERPENTINE is a sweeping fantasy set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology.

Lush with details from Chinese folklore, SERPENTINE tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns sixteen, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.

When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self – even as she falls in love for the first time.

“Serpentine is unique and surprising, with a beautifully-drawn fantasy world that sucked me right in! I love Skybright’s transformative power, and how she learns to take charge of it.” ~Kristin Cashore, NYT Bestseller of the Graceling Realm Series

“Serpentine’s world oozes with lush details and rich lore, and the characters crackle with life. This is one story that you’ll want to lose yourself in.” ~ Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of Legend and The Young Elites

Cindy Pon is the author of Silver Phoenix (Greenwillow, 2009), which was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by the American Library Association’s Booklist, and one of 2009′s best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA. The sequel to Silver Phoenix, titled Fury of the Phoenix, was released in April 2011. Serpentine, the first title in her next Xia duology, will be published by Month9Books in September 2015. She is the co-founder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo and on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Cindy is also a Chinese brush painting student of over a decade. Visit her website at www.cindypon.com.

Four clans have been at war for centuries: the Kodiak, the Raven, the Wolf and the Ram. Through brutal war tactics, the Ram have dominated the region, inflicting death and destruction on their neighbors.
Seventeen-year-old Zo is a Wolf and a Healer who volunteers to infiltrate the Ram as a spy on behalf of the allied clans. She offers herself as a Ram slave, joining the people who are called the “nameless.” Hers is a suicide mission – Zo’s despair after losing her parents in a Ram raid has left her seeking both revenge and an end to her own misery. But after her younger sister follows her into Rams Gate, Zo must find a way to survive her dangerous mission and keep her sister safe.
What she doesn’t expect to find is the friendship of a young Ram whose life she saves, the confusing feelings she develops for a Ram soldier, and an underground nameless insurrection. Zo learns that revenge, loyalty and love are more complicated than she ever imagined in the first installment of this two-book series.

With her degree in History and Secondary Education, Jennifer had every intention of teaching teens to love George Washington and appreciate the finer points of ancient battle stratagem. (Seriously, she’s obsessed with ancient warfare.) However, life had different plans in store when the writing began. As a proud member of Writers Cubed, and a co-founder of the Teen Author Boot Camp, she feels blessed to be able to fulfill both her ambition to work with teens as well as write Young Adult fiction.

Jennifer has three children who are experts at naming her characters, one loving, supportive husband, a dog with little-man syndrome, and three chickens (of whom she is secretly afraid).

Thursday, August 27, 2015

I am so excited to be hosting a spot on the VENGEANCE ROAD blog tour I am loving all the western books coming out and this one was absolutely awesome! I have an interview with Erin to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway to win a hardcover of the book!

When Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the notorious Rose
Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold
mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty
plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers,
dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow.
But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the
truth about herself and must decide if there's room for love in a heart so full
of hate.

In the spirit of True Grit, the cutthroat days of the Wild West come to life
for a new generation.

Now on to the interview!

Hi Erin! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books! I am
super excited to read VENGEANCE ROAD I love westerns and am so happy that you
could stop by for a visit!

For the readers: can you tell us a
little bit about VENGEANCE ROAD and the characters?

Vengeance Road is
a Wild West revenge story set in 1877 Arizona. It follows Kate Thompson as she
attempts to avenge her father’s murder only to find herself entangled in a
bloody quest for lost gold. Along the way, she’ll cross paths with the
notorious Rose Riders, a vicious gang led by Waylan Rose, as well as make a few
allies, among them a pair of cowboy brothers and a young Apache girl. Everyone
is shades of gray in this novel, and that was my favorite part of writing it.

Were any of the characters in the
book inspired by people from your real life?

Not
really. I tend to put pieces of people I know into all my characters, but I’ve
never modeled a character after one specific person.

Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?

Kate was
my favorite, which is maybe unsurprising since the book is narrated in first
person and I spent a lot of time in her head. She is so plucky and stubborn and
spitfire; such a fun character to write. As for least favorite? I actually
loved writing all the characters in this book. But I will say that I found
writing the villains challenging. They are very, very bad people and sometimes it’s difficult to get into that
mindspace.

What is your favorite passage/scene in VENGEANCE ROAD?

The
opening scene of Chapter 7, when Kate and the Colton brothers reach White Tank
is definitely my favorite. Just thinking about that scene makes me smile.

What are you reading right now? Or
what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?

I just
finished reading an ARC of Susan Dennard’s TRUTHWITCH (so good!), and I’m dying
to get my hands on Rae Carson’s WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER. I’m so pumped to see
more westerns hitting the YA shelves.

Lightening Round Questions

Twitter or Facebook?TWITTER ALL THE WAY! (I
think I check into facebook about twice a year)

Favorite TV show? Firefly

Sweet or Salty? While
writing: salty. For dessert: sweet.

Any Phobias? Clowns. *shudders*

Fall Movie you’re most looking
forward to? Tarantino’s
THE HATEFUL EIGHT! So excited for another western to hit the big screen.

Thanks
so much Erin for answering my questions!

Thanks for having me!

About Erin:

Erin grew up in rural Connecticut, where she spent most of her
childhood telling stories. It is rumored that her first words were not
"Mama" or "Dada," but "Once upon a time." In
middle school, when kids were going off to sleep-away camp for the summer, Erin
was attending writing camp and penning short stories.

She studied web design (and minored in Creative Writing because
she couldn’t stay away from stories) at the Rochester Institute of Technology
in upstate New York. After several years working in advertising and designing
websites for various brands, she moved from Boston to New Hampshire, where she
now lives with her family and writes full-time.

When not writing, Erin can often be found hiking, geeking out
over good typography, and obsessing over all things Harry Potter. She drinks a
lot of coffee, buys far too many books, and is not terribly skilled at writing
about herself in the third person.

She is represented by Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger, and is the
author of the Taken Trilogy (available from HarperTeen) and Vengeance Road (HMH
Books for Young Readers).

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Hey everyone I'm stoked to take part in Caroline Patti's blog tour for INTO THE DARK! I have Caroline's favorite scenes to share with you today! Oh and make sure to stick around for the giveaway!

Haven't heard of INTO THE DARK? Check it out!

A girl’s sweet sixteen party is supposed to be among the most memorable events of her life. But on the night of hers, Mercy Clare wakes in the waiting room of a hospital with no memory of how she got there. To make matters worse, she’s wearing something she’d never be caught dead in: her best friend Lyla’s clothes.

Mercy’s nightmare is just beginning. The doctor arrives to tell her that it’s she who lies in the hospital bed waiting to die. A trip to the bathroom confirms Mercy’s fears, as Lyla’s face stares back at her and Lyla’s curvy figure pokes through her tight clothes.

But finding out what’s really going on won’t be easy. Because if Mercy wants her body back, it might just cost her Lyla’s life.

1.When Mercy ends up in the
dead body. This is one of the very first scenes I ever wrote and it nearly
didn’t make it into the final version. I love, love, love when Nathaniel shows
up and casually extricates her. It’s their true bonding moment, and leads to
their first kiss. It’s the first time we, as readers, see Nathaniel as human.

2.When Gage loses his mark.
He is really struggling throughout the entire story. Everything he knows is
called into question, and he has a lot to deal with. When he’s stripped of his
mark, he is catapulted into the unknown.

3.When Mercy receives Lyla’s
memory of Lyla and Jay together. It is such an intrusion, and it should
definitively show Mercy that being in Lyla’s body is so very, very wrong. But it
doesn’t. Sure, she knows she shouldn’t be watching, but it doesn’t upset her
enough.

4.When Mercy starts her
mother’s heart. That’s the biggest surge of power Mercy has. It shows what
she’s truly capable of, and how dangerous she is.

MY FAVORITE scene is when
Mercy’s rib is wrenched from her body while everyone she loves is forced to
watch. It’s painful and each character’s reaction is unique. Sure, they’re all
upset, but for very different reasons. Gage and Ariana are willing to fight,
but Nathaniel has a total breakdown, which speaks volumes to his character and
how deeply he feels for Mercy.

About Caroline:

Caroline T Patti is the author of The World Spins Madly On and Too Late To Apologize. When she’s not writing, she’s a school librarian, mother of two, wife, avid reader and Green Bay Packer fan. You can chat with her on Twitter:@carepatti or find her onFacebook.

New York Times bestseller Alison Goodman’s eagerly awaited new project: a Regency adventure starring a stylish and intrepid demon-hunter!London, April 1812. On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall’s presentation to the queen, one of her family’s housemaids disappears-and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap?

So what do you
think? Will you be adding this to your pile? What are you dying to read this
week?

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Hi thanks for stopping by!!! And welcome to my Top 10 Tuesday post! Thanks to the lovely ladies at The Broke And The Bookish for creating this weekly meme!Here's this week's topic.August 25: Top Ten Books That Would Be On Your Syllabus If You Taught X 101

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I really liked this! I'm a huge fan of fairy tale retellings and most of the Peter Pan/Neverland ones I have read have been a huge disappointment. Not this one though! I thought Lisa wrote a beautiful story and I loved her take on Neverl...

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